Wine Recommendation

Vineland Estates Winery

2007 "Elevation" Riesling VQA, Estate(Niagara Escarpment (ON))

The Elevation series of wines (all line priced at $25) is a new concept for Vineland Estates. The fruit comes from the highest part of the estate’s vineyard and harvests are kept down to 3.5 tons per acre.

This Riesling comes from the older vines of the original St. Urban Vineyard planted in 1979 by Hermann Weis, the original owner of the property. Weis owns St. Urbans-Hof in the Mosel and used his own clones here (he also owns a nursery in the Mosel). The influence of the Mosel is evident in the style. The alcohol is 8 percent – remarkably low for Ontario – with a residual sugar of 32.5 g/l and a Total Acidity of 9.9 g/l.

The wine is very pale in colour, almost water white. On the nose, a profusion of minerals, struck flint, grapefruit and spring flowers. Light and lacy on the palate, almost Spätlese in style, the wine has a honeyed sweetness balanced with lime acidity. Great tension between the fruit and acidity. Five hundred and sixty-three cases were produced.

The Wine

The Reviewer

Tony Aspler

Tony Aspler has been reviewing wines since 1975 and will continue doing so until he gets it right. Although his license plate is CLARET, he enjoys all wines except sparkling Retsina. He says he’s not a wine critic but a wine evangelist because he wants to turn readers onto wine rather than turn them off. His style is telegraphic rather than poetic because there are only so many ways to say ‘mellow tannins’.

The Wine

The Reviewer

Tony Aspler

Tony Aspler has been reviewing wines since 1975 and will continue doing so until he gets it right. Although his license plate is CLARET, he enjoys all wines except sparkling Retsina. He says he’s not a wine critic but a wine evangelist because he wants to turn readers onto wine rather than turn them off. His style is telegraphic rather than poetic because there are only so many ways to say ‘mellow tannins’.